Along with the hotel restaurants of Sylhet city, the shopkeepers have arranged stalls of traditional Iftar items as well as an exotic food in temporary shops on the side of the road. However, Patla Khichuri is the most popular Iftar food among the people of Sylhet. Locally it is also known as ‘Leta Khichuri’. People of Sylhet's Iftar are not complete without this traditional food. According to experts, Patla Khichuri is very healthy after fasting for the day.
However, there is no specific information about when or from where the culture of eating Patla Khichuri at Iftar started.
Patla Khichuri is prepared in most homes as well as hotel restaurants during Ramadan. Khichuri cooked with rice, dal, onion, ginger, garlic, and a little oil or ghee becomes more delicious by adding some vegetables. After breaking the fast by eating dates, Patla Khichuri removes all the tiredness of the day.
Saberin Mia, a resident of the Subidbazar area, told that Patla khichuri enhances the taste of Iftar after a long day of fasting. I have been eating Patla Khichuri for Iftari for more than 50 years. I have also seen my parents always prepare patla khichuri for iftar. As khichuri is soft, there is no problem with digestion.
Ayesha Begum, a resident of the Sheikhghat area of the metropolis, said that the traditional dish of Sylhet is Patla Khichuri. This food is traditionally eaten in the family. Children did not like this food much at first. They were all interested in fried food. But by eating these foods, they often suffered from various stomach diseases. Later, as per the doctor's advice, I started eating Patla Khichuri after Iftar.
Professor Dr M A Malik of Sylhet Parkview Medical College and Hospital said that after fasting the whole day, the body becomes very weak. Most of the items we see in restaurants for Iftari are not healthy. Especially fried. They are very harmful to health. Iftar requires soft food. And to say soft food, eating Patla Khichuri is very beneficial. Fasting people get only rice nutrition in ordinary khichuri. But Patla Khichuri contains various ingredients including pulses, onions, ginger, garlic, and ghee. They meet the protein and carbohydrate needs of the body.
